Troy headed to New Orleans Bowl vs. North Texas

Troy will play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Dec. 16 vs. North Texas, it was announced Sunday.

The Trojans (10-2) secured a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship with a 32-25 victory over Arkansas State on Saturday. It was Troy's first Sun Belt title since it won or shared in five straight from 2006-10.

North Texas (9-4) won the Conference USA West Division this season and lost to Florida Atlantic 41-17 in Saturday's conference title game. The Mean Green were a member of the Sun Belt from 2001-12, winning conference titles in the first four of those seasons.

"The New Orleans Bowl is a great destination for our fans and players to celebrate an outstanding season," Troy coach Neal Brown said. "I know our players are excited about playing in this bowl game, and we are looking forward to a great week experiencing the culture of New Orleans. This is a bowl game that our fans have circled every year and we're looking forward to seeing a strong Trojan presence in New Orleans."

Troy has played in the New Orleans Bowl on three previous occasions, posting a 2-1 record. The Trojans beat Rice 41-17 in 2006, lost to Southern Miss 30-27 in 2008 and beat Ohio 48-21 in 2010.

The 2017 New Orleans Bowl kicks off at noon Central Dec. 16 at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The game will be televised by ESPN.